The Bahamas, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Belize recorded deaths from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as regional countries reported increased cases of the virus over the past 24 hours.
The Ministry of Health in Nassau said that those who died ranged from ages 34 to 66 years, pushing the death toll across the chain of islands to 122.
It said that deaths under investigation decreased by one to 13, while non-COVID-19 related deaths remain at 23
The Ministry of Health said that 75 new cases were reported and that the number of positive cases reached 5,703 with New Providence topping the number of islands with the most cases at 4,392, followed by Grand Bahama 671 and Abaco 161.
The Ministry of Health in Guyana recorded 24 new COVID-19 cases pushing the number of total cases recorded to date at 3, 734.
There are 13 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 78 in institutional isolation and 880 in home isolation.
The ministry recorded two additional COVID-19 deaths bringing the death toll to 111. So far, 2, 654 persons have recovered. The two new cases were also recorded in Region Three and one in Region Eight.
A total of 16, 865 persons have been tested and an additional 44 are in home quarantine either awaiting test results or to be swabbed for the disease.
In Belize, one person, a woman in her mid-60s died as a result of the COVID-19 virus, pushing the total in the country to 44. She had been hospitalised for the last two weeks.
The authorities said that a total of 38 new cases were identified in 173 samples processed putting the overall total at 1, 670 with 1,099 being active cases.
“There are 22 recovered cases to report so that 39.1 per cent of our cases remain active. Our case fatality rate is now at 1.6 per cent showing a slow increase,” the authorities added.
One person died and 16 more people have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Health in Trinidad and Tobago.
So far 96 people have died from the virus with the authorities reporting 1,549 active cases.
On recovered patients 68 more people have recovered taking the total to 3,652. There are 81 patients in hospital.
The number of patients in State quarantine has been reduced by eight and the total now stands at 299. The number of people in self-isolation has been reduced by 49 and now stands at 1,413. Trinidad and Tobago has a total of 5,297 positive cases.
St. Lucia has recorded more positive cases of the virus, with the Ministry of Health indicating late Sunday that it had received confirmation of three new cases, pushing the total overall to 36.
It said one of the cases if a 21- year old male, the son of two persons who had earlier tested positive for the virus, while the second case is a 23-year-old female who is a close contact of four earlier cases
“These two newly diagnosed cases were identified during the contact tracing process being undertaken by the health team in response to the cases which were diagnosed during this past week,” the ministry said, adding that the third case is a 21 year old male who participated in one of the COVID-19 community testing drives which was recently conducted. The person is also linked to an earlier person who tested positive for the virus.
The ministry said that all three new cases have been placed in quarantine, noting that while it has been able to establish a link amongst the cases to earlier ones “it is important that we all bear in mind the likelihood of community transmission.
“It is this likelihood that made necessary the recent COVID-19 testing activities which were held in some communities and institutions of concern. This testing will assist in the timely identification of any additional cases, which may exist in communities.
“The public is therefore being appealed to take all the necessary measures to keep each and every one safe and reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. It is important that every citizen, every day, ensures we play our part to protect our health and that of our family and those most vulnerable amongst us including the elderly and people living with medical conditions,” the ministry added.
Suriname reported seven people testing positive for the virus over the past 24 hours. The Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country has 78 active cases out of a total of 5,130.
The total number of people healed stands at 4,944, including eight in the past 24 hours. The death toll remains at 109.
There are 24 people in hospitals, four in the intensive care unit, 52 positives in isolation and 540 non-positives in quarantine.